I received complimentary tickets in exchange for my honest and unbiased review. #ad

The Santaland Diaries – Horizon Theatre

We can all use a laugh or two around this time of the year with all of the pressure and stress the holidays bring. I was so happy when I was given the chance to see the longest running play that they have, The Santaland Diaries now showing at the Horizon Theatre in Little Five Points in Atlanta. For 19 years this play has ran at the theatre and this year they have Topher Payne, playwright and screenwriter, to play Crumpet.

Another hit with audiences, The Santaland Diaries takes place during Christmas time in Macy’s department store and it is the story of a man’s take on being an elf in one of the busiest cities in the world, New York City. He tells the story from start to finish of how he became an elf and his experiences and they are hilarious. Just imagine, everything you are thinking in your head you speak and is acted out freely. This play has so much humor, that even as the actors are acting they had to compose themselves so that they did not laugh with us. Awesome group of actors and I stress that Horizon Theatre never ever disappoints!!! Great theatre experience all around.

About the Play

Welcome to this wicked wonderland and exposé of all things elfin. Out of work and middle-aged, a writer in need of holiday cash decides to employ his gift for insightful observation in the trade of elfdom at Macy’s Department Store. Besieged by bratty kids with overzealous parents and donning a humiliating costume, he finds that his cynical self and his elfin alter ego, “Crumpet,” are not exactly compatible. His remedy for the saccharine overdose he endures in his never-endingly exuberant job is to tell all – giving us a backstage pass to the secret lives of Santas and elves. Though definitely not your traditional stocking stuffer, this caustic Christmas carol is a laughter-spiked antidote to the holiday blues.

Sardonic, satirical and sarcastic, the merry misanthrope recounts the tale of his stint as a Macy’s Department Store elf named Crumpet. Adapted from David Sedaris’ best-selling book Holidays on Ice, this holiday tale is a modern classic, made famous when it aired on National Public Radio. (from Horizon Theatre)

Tickets start at $25*

VIP
Upgrade to VIP for $15. VIP tickets include reserved seating and a complimentary holiday beverage. Platinum VIP tickets are available for $100 and include front-row cocktail table seating, complimentary holiday beverages and scrumptuous treats. Special discounts for groups of 10+. Call 404.523.1477 x111 for more information.

Have you ever seen The Santaland Diaries? What did you think?

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If you own a house, you know the struggle of doing home improvements. You want to tackle the big things, but as soon as you are ready to, something goes wrong and you have to hold off on your big project. Some of these ‘must do’ projects are probably renovating your kitchen, adding granite countertops to your bathrooms, and replacing your hardwoods because these are on trend to upgrade, but there are so many other home improvement ideas out there that do not get enough attention.

Sure, renovating your kitchen will definitely help increase the value of your home, but make sure you are thinking about things that will make your life better, as well. Today, I want to share with you a short list of home projects that are underrated. Hopefully after today, you will see that there are other things that you can do to improve your home, not just the big trendy projects. These home improvement projects should help you live more comfortably in your home and when you are ready to sell, they should be great perks to the new homeowners, as well!

Top Underrated Home Improvements

Sealing Off Your Home

If you have never had any pest problems, this probably didn’t even cross your mind, but as soon as you do have any wildlife issues (fingers crossed that you won’t), you will have wished that you would have done this sooner. Having a completely sealed house is a definite perk to future homeowners because they know that they will hopefully never have to deal with rats, flying squirrels, etc. in their home and attic. This is a huge perk because having those animals in your walls and attic can cause serious damage.

Going Green

Did you know that it will save 400 pounds of greenhouse gas emissions just by trading in one incandescent light bulb for 1 CFL bulb?! There are many small things that you can do to make your home green and then there are also bigger things you can do, like adding solar panels and having temperature regulating walls. According to Conserve-Energy-Future, “ You could significantly boost the overall value of your home just by making your home eco-friendly. By installing solar panels on the roof top or adding a water-saving toilet and shower, you will not only save money but create a perk for new buyers should you ever sell your home.” Help the environment by going green in your home and your life in general. It may be an underrated home improvement, but it will be beneficial in the end!

Adding Window Films

A lot of people do not know about window films, but adding them to your home windows definitely has a lot of benefits from security and safety, to decoration and glare. In Atlanta, if you are looking for a company to help you out with window tinting, you can find UHS Window Tinting and Blinds at your disposal. UHS Window TInting and Blinds is a locally owned and operated company in the metro Atlanta area. Are you tired of excess heat and glare, faded furnishings, or not enough security and privacy? If so (which I know everyone in Atlanta is dealing with excess heat in the summer months), then window films can definitely help you out. Their full line of 3M window film products can help with all of those issues. UHS Window Tinting and Blinds’ mission is to give nothing but the highest level of service and their reviews are all fantastic, so you can trust them with your window tinting service. The great thing about window tinting is that you get a fast payback with significant savings. According to UHS Window Tinting and Blinds, if you install window films, you can reduce heat gain the summer months by up to 79%, many utility companies offer incentives, and you can save 1-2 dollars per square foot of film installed. I would call that an underrated home improvement!

Adding Insulation

Adding insulation is another underrated home improvement that will save you money in the long run. If your home is getting too hot or cold, in addition to your window films, you can also try adding insulation. This will significantly reduce your electric and gas bill and you will thank yourself for adding insulation when you did!

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Thank you Woodruff Arts Center for sponsored me and a guest as a member of Atlanta Food & Lifestyle Blogger Society in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Downtown Atlanta has many many gems and Twelve Eighty is one of them. I have been to the High Museum which is part of the campus, but did not realize or had heard of Twelve Eighty prior to this event. Hubby and I were waiting for our work day to end so that we can get to the restaurant. You see, we used this as a date night, but on someone else’s dime. Best kind if you ask me:)

Arriving about an hour early, we had a chance to scope out where all of the media/bloggers were going to be and I knew based upon the décor in the room and with everyone being greeted by key players at Twelve Eighty and not to mention the champagne, Yes, champagne, that we were in for a treat.

Chef Andreas greeted us and prior to each new dish coming out, took the time to explain what it was and what inspired him to create the dish. Everyone received a sample and it was 4 courses all served with a cocktail and last but not least dessert, created by Pastry Chef, Derrell (see picture below).

Twelve Eighty – Inspired Dining boasts a menu featuring local, farm-to-fork offerings for everyone to enjoy. The global cuisine with a southern twist offers a wide array of choices which includes fresh sandwiches, soups, salads, full entrees and several gourmet side choices. Wine, beer and hand-crafted cocktails are also available to be a part of your dining experience.

For more information and to see how you can try these delicious Fall Menu items, visit: Twelve Eighty and make your reservations now.

If you have been to Twelve Eighty before what is one of your favorite menu items?

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I was given this Bible to review for B&H Publishing by FrontGate Media. While I was given the Bible for free all thoughts and opinions are my own.

I am ashamed to say that I have many Bibles with different versions so you will get a clearer understanding depending on which one you use and normally for me it would be the Amplified version. To hear that She Reads Truth has a Bible, but in Christian Standard, I had to jump on it for 2 reasons. The first is due to it being She Reads Truth, come on what female would not want it due to the excellent reputation that She Reads Truth studies have and who does not need another version of the Bible as part of one’s Bible Study.

It is a hard cover, beautifully designed, colorful, dainty and full of Truth and I am excited about using it a lot more in 2018. Great for everyone no matter where you are on your faith walk.

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Received this devotional free in exchange for my honest and unbiased review. This post does contain affiliate links. #ad

Each day features an easy-to-read, relevant devotion paired with a scripture verse and journaling space to help readers reflect on the day’s message. The book tackles tough topics girls face, from bullying and social media to friendships and dating, all the while showing readers how infinitely precious they are in God’s sight. Perfect for those 13 years of age and older.

What I Will Share With My Daughter – Adored Devotional

We love her unconditionally and even more important, Father God loved her 1st and loves her the most (old saying from my grandma)

She can do whatever it is she puts her mind to and succeed, but the true form of success is doing what Father God wants her to do (getting into the Adored 365 Devotional can help prepare her for that)

No matter what relationships she has in life, the most important one is w/Father God and let no one or nothing stop you from chasing after Him

She is beautiful and it is okay to dress and be pretty/feminine because that is what God made you to be, but the most important part is your heart and if that is beautiful you truly are beautiful

Daddy will straight hurt the man who hurts you, so chose wisely for their sake:)

The man you are supposed to marry will love God 1st and you 2nd and not the other way around

Here is your chance to win a copy for your loved one, by entering below:

“Disclosure (in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”): Many thanks to Propeller Consulting, LLC for providing this prize for the giveaway. Choice of winners and opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation. I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post. Only one entrant per mailing address, per giveaway. If you have won a prize from our sponsor Propeller /FlyBy Promotions in the last 30 days on the same blog, you are not eligible to win. Or if you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification.

Adored is another great gift idea and stay tuned because more suggestions are coming. Thanks for stopping by.

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Received this book free in exchange for my honest and unbiased review. #ad

Product Description:

IMMERSE YOURSELF IN LIFE-GIVING TRUTH THROUGH THE POWERFUL LANGUAGE OF MUSIC.

Live SoulFULL is a music-driven, gospel-centered, interactive Bible study that’s all about how God fulfills your deepest needs. It’s a fun, yet challenging way to help you build a strong, confident faith in knowing God as the Giver and Filler of life.

Each song and corresponding chapter work together to walk you through the Bible’s answers to some of life’s biggest questions.

Recorded by award-winning Nashville musicians, the music ranges from up-tempo, roll-the-
window-down grooves to passionate, heart-stirring ballads. As you listen, read, and learn, you will discover the fulfillment and joy that Jesus offers in the midst of everyday life.

Live SoulFULL Includes:

11 Chapter study book

13-song CD

Download code for digital copy of album

One of the coolest parts is that there are several activities for the reader to do to help them in their faith walk which include:

-Take a Selfie- challenges you with soul-stirring questions

-Reach Up- helps you connect with God through focused prayer

– Reach Out- equips you to talk with family and friends and gives you a fun way to share your faith by sharing the songs

– Sound Waves- draws your attention to specific lyrics to help you internalize the truth of God’s word found in the songs

Scott, is the author of the book and a Bible Teacher who is passionate about seeing people transformed

by the love of Father God. Ginger, his wife, is a beautiful and fun singer. So talented that she writes for

local ministries and churches.

I found that this is a very unique and cool way to get God’s Word into your life. The challenging portions

of each chapter for me was Take a Selfie and Reach Out (especially to hard to love people) but maybe

for you it will not be as challenging. Looking at yourself has always been informative and scary:)

If you are looking for a gift for a person who loves music and wants to dive deeper into God’s Word, this

book is it. You can find more information here: Live SoulFULL including being able to download the 1st

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Received this book free in exchange for my honest opinion. May contain affiliate links.

Still looking for the perfect Christmas gift for the avid inspirational reader in your life? You may want to check out: Take The Lid Off from Christian Musician, and now Pastor Smokie Norful. His music is beautiful, the book is one to add to your library. It is a guide to help one to go from one level to the next.

About the book:

When the pressure of life seems to boil over – and it does for everyone – Pastor and Grammy-winning musician Smokie Norful has one piece of advice: take the lid off. This concept was inspired by watching his grandmother make her signature dish of sweet rice. When the heat got too high, the pot began hissing and boiling over, like it was about to explode and create panic. His Grandmother would remind him the only way to avoid an eruption is to remove the lid. Like that pot of rice, the only way to avoid an emotional overload is to take our own lids off — that is, to stop being trapped inside ourselves and instead look to God and his grace to show us the strategy that makes us all he intends us to be, and serve him in the way he has called us to.

This is the premise behind Norful’s new book Take the Lid Off: Trust God, Release the Pressure, and Find the Life He Wants for You (Thomas Nelson, September 17, 2017). In Take the Lid Off, Norful — who is the founder and pastor of Victory Cathedral Worship Center, a congregation of 5,000 members with three campuses in the Chicagoland area — outlines four steps to take to relieving the pressure and drawing closer to God in the process:

Look Inward, experiencing the cleansing of forgiveness and the power of God

Look Outward, seeking for others to experience the joy of living for God and have the best God has to offer

Look Upward and marvel at God’s love and strength to accomplish his purposes

Move Onward, devising a strategy to accomplish all God has put in our hearts to do

All 4 of these sections are very important, but nowadays most seem to be so me centered that we miss what is going on in front of us and the opportunities to help others. We are not here on this Earth just for me, mine and ours. What about them, theirs and those?

As long as you have breath, there is always a chance to do and be better. Why not chose that today?

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(As a Dining Out Atlanta Passbook Ambassador, I received free samples in exchange for my honest and unbiased review of the product. #ad #affiliate)

This is the season to eat more food including more delicious pies. All kinds of pies, sweet potato (no comment:)), dutch apple, buttermilk, pecan, coconut, etc. There are many great things that I have inherited from my mom, her looks (what can I say:)), her cooking abilities, with the exception of baking, I do not know what happened there, but she got it honestly from her mama. It must have skipped me because baking pies or even other sweets it is just not for me. I can cook all day and I have my specialties, but sweets nope. Not one of them.

Being so far away from my mommy, I do not get to have the tasty sweets that she makes around this time of the year and I miss that. A couple of weeks back, I was part of the fun with some other foodies, to take part in an Ambassador Mixer, at Buttermilk Sky and I was very surprised. I had not heard of it prior to that day and they laid it out for us. Beautiful décor and scrumptious pies, so much so that I said, Buttermilk Sky Pies Remind Me of Grandma and that is saying a whole lot. I mentioned earlier in the post, coconut pies, earlier this week mommy and I were talking about how Grandma used to make them and she passed the recipe to my mommy and when I tasted the Buttermilk Pie, it reminded me of her. Many great memories were had at her house, eating joking and laughing.

With every bite you taste the time and most of all love that is put into each pie. All very different but all very good and everyone is bound to find their favorite. In the Dining Out Atlanta Passbook, currently there is a deal for a buy 1 get 1 free mini pie, which is a great way to sample their pies. The passbook is only $39 dollars and it is a steal when you think about all of the bogo deals you find in the book for great restaurants in the Metro Atlanta Area. The book retails for $99, but with my code, G4BM18, the price is reduced to only $39. They are perfect if you are looking for a gift idea that pays for itself over and over again.

Have you tried Buttermilk Sky Pies? Let me know your experience. You will not be disappointed. Don’t forget about getting the Dining Out Atlanta Passbook and use code, G4BM18 to get your hand on so many bogo free deals including brunch.

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Thanksgiving is literally less than 3 days away and with that we all know, Black Friday is coming right behind it and wait don’t forget Cyber Monday. In years past, there were more people sleeping overnight at stores to find that perfect item or items for themselves or their loved ones, but more and more people are shopping online due to the ease of it. For me, most times shopping during the holidays is so crazy and hectic. You can really get overwhelmed if you do not go with a shopping list and stick to it.

Picture it: you get up at 8:00 am in the morning while still in your pjs, pour yourself a cup of coffee and get to shopping. Not any long lines or warming up cars or dealing with a lot of sometimes very pushy individuals trying to fight you for the last item.

Now with that said, I have discovered this home shopping network called, Shop LC. I did not tell my mother yet, because when I say I learned home shopping from her I did. Once I share this with her, she will be ordering stuff left and right because the prices are so reasonable.

Shop LC has been known as the place to go for jewelry, but actually it carries stylish fashion accessories, clothing, home decor, bags, and more. The best part that I have found is that most of the items are $20.00 or less which is right up to par with my budget for some people. The items are unique and you will not see many people with it. I found some awesome accessories, ⇓ and most were less than $15.00 with the exception of this gray faux leather tote that came with a matching hobo handbag which was $39.99 which is $20.00 each bag.

I had fun when it came to finding accessories, which is always a need for me, only to find that they were so affordable. Bead cuffs were my favorite find along with the Strada Chroma Watch with 5 Stretchable Bracelets both of which were $14.99 and less each.

Do like I did and go to Shop LC for all of your gifting needs and yes you can get 15% off like I did by using my special coupon code: god4bandme15. Feel free to use this code on the entire website catalog for purchases $20 or more, excluding online auction items and items currently being aired on TV. It will be valid until Dec 2nd.

*Discount valid on select online items only now until 12/2/17. Not valid on Live TV or $1 Online Auctions. Cannot be combined with other promo codes.

All of the above items ⇑cost me less than $100.00. Can you believe it? I wouldn’t if it wasn’t for the fact that I made the purchase myself. My closet thanks me and yours will too:)

Thank you for this great opportunity. Collaboration sourced via Shopping Links and Shop LC. All opinions are my own.

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“This is a sponsored post on behalf of Review Wire Media for Penguin Random House. I received information to facilitate my review as well as a promotional item to thank me for my participation.”

I can kinda understand if you have not heard of the following: House of Payne or For Better or Worse, but if you have not heard of Madea and all of her shaniegans I want to ask one question: “Where have you been hiding?”

Tyler Perry, the man behind all of the above and then some has done something that I have on my bucketlist to do one day and that is to write a book and impact people in a positive way. He has done such a thing and it has dropped today!! Tyler’s book, Higher Is Waiting, he speaks about the challenges in life and it is meant to inspire readers to climb higher in their own lives and pull themselves up to a better, more fulfilling place. If you know any part of his back story, you know what he has been through and how it has made him a stronger and more caring individual in spite of some of the obstacles which some of us probably could not bare, but God!!!

I have not had a chance to read it yet as it arrived today, but I have heard him speak and if any of what I heard is in the book then we are in for some laughter and some tears.

Giveaway Details:

The giveaway is for 1 copy of Higher is Waiting by Tyler Perry.

Several other bloggers will run the same contest and if you have win the same prize on another blog, you will not be eligible to win it again.

Winners address must be prepared to provide their email and mailing address when the contest closes on 2nd of December.